BEST WINES FOR NEW YEAR'S EVE
While our sommeliers at Horizon love the bubbles year-round, ringing in the new year is often the only holiday when many folks pop open their annual “treat”… so we asked our Champagne & sparkling wine experts to highlight a few options just for you - all things bubbles, red wine options too, and of course wine cocktails!
RED WINE FOR NEW YEAR'S EVE PARTIES
Acrobat Pinot Noir, Oregon
The nose has rich, fruit-forward aromas like ripe cherries and strawberry pie, with hints of cinnamon, vanilla and mocha. The palate echoes with ripe strawberries and dark chocolate up front, followed by earthy and spicy notes of forest floor and clove.
Mercer Canyons Malbec, Columbia Valley
A bowl of fruit greets you on the nose;ripe blackberry with a beautiful hint of minerality and warm baking spices. The lush fruit is round and full in the mouth. Sweet tannins provide a gentle framework that leads into powdery, velvety tannins on the finish.
Emblem Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
A long and warm growing season allowed the grapes to manifest dark fruits flavors. Infrequent heat spikes softened the traditionally firm and structured tannins of Cabernet Sauvignon. The warm season balanced by night time fog and cool Napa Valley nights, calmed the ripening process and instilled a unique blend of tannin and fruit which inspired a rich background of deep exotic spices.
Tenuta Greppone Mazzi, Brunello di Montalcino
Notes of plums, ripe cherries, and cassis are interwoven with spicy hints of black pepper. These aromas form a complex and elegant bouquet made up of refined sensations. The palate is lush and full-bodied, showing excellent aging potential with fine tannins, vibrant texture, and abundant fruit. The finish is long with hints of chocolate and sweet tobacco.
Browne Family Cabernet Sauvignon
Aromas of dark berry and cigar box lead into a full bodied, textured wine with flavors of black cherry, cassis and cedar. Long and lasting finish of dark chocolate and forest floor.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN VINTAGE VS. NON-VINTAGE CHAMPAGNE?
Vintage Champagne is made with grapes from only one year’s harvest versus non-vintage champagne that comes from multiple vintages. Each Champagne house has created a house style through the blending of multiple vintage. Here are three more fun facts about non-vintage vs. vintage champagne:
Vintage champagnes are aged for three plus years while non-vintage champagnes are typically aged for at least one and half years.
Vintage champagne tends to have the deeper body and flavor profile that defines that particular year.
Vintage Champagne represents only 5% of the total production of Champagne.
BEST AFFORDABLE SPARKLING WINES AND CHAMPAGNES
Ruffino Prosecco, DOC NV
The bouquet is fragrant and bursting with fruit notes. It shows clean aromas of apples, pears, and citrus. It’s crisp, clean, and delicate with fine bubbles on the palate. Intense flavors of apples and peaches lead to a pleasant finish with lingering fruit and floral notes.
Chloe Prosecco, DOC NV
This wine is bursting with fresh fruit and fine bubbles, with notes of peach, green apple, citrus and white flowers on the nose and palate. It is light straw yellow in color with greenish hues. Opulent yet balanced with elegant acidity, this wine offers a crisp finish with a hint of minerality, revealing the proximity to the mountains and calcareous soils where the grapes are grown. MAKE CHLOE PROSECCO COCKTAILS
Toast by JaM Cellars
Pop! Toast Brut Sparkling is a celebration in your glass any day of the week. It’s made with the traditional méthode champenoise, in an easy-to-love Californian style. Juicy aromas of melon, white peach and orange blossom explode into tropical pineapple and ripe honeydew, with tiny bubbles and a crisp, light toastiness on the palate.
Luc Belaire: Gold, Rose & Luxe
Luc Belaire celebrates France’s place as the originator of fine sparkling wines, combining grapes of rare quality with craftsmanship that can only be found at a family-operated winery like ours. Each bold expression in the Belaire range exemplifies quality, heritage, and style - an unforgettable experience is guaranteed!
Luc Belaire Brut Gold
Produced in Burgundy, France from handpicked Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes, Belaire Brut Gold is stunning inside and out. Balanced, and elegant, this classic cuvée is made with a dosage of organic sugarcane, a historic touch dating back to the wines of the French 1920’s: Années folles. This extra touch adds a lovely length and structure to the wine. Refreshing aromas of brioche, peach and pear give way to fresh Chardonnay fruit and tropical notes of mango on the palate. Delicately structured with a light, dry finish.
Luc Belaire Rosé
France’s Most Exquisite Rosé is a unique sparkling Rosé from Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur – a region in the south of France known for producing the world’s finest Rosé wines. Belaire Rosé is crafted by 5th and 6th generation winemakers at a Maison established in 1898. Our Rosé is available in six iconic sizes. Rich red fruit bouquet with an elegant palate of strawberry and blackcurrant. Dry and refreshing with fine, delicate yet persistent bubbles. Elegant, smooth finish.
Luc Belaire Luxe
Belaire Luxe is an authentic French “Blanc de Blancs” made exclusively from Chardonnay grapes hand-selected for their rich and delicate character. Belaire Luxe is blended with a special liqueur de dosage made from Chardonnay harvested in Burgundy’s famous Chablis terroir and aged for six months in Burgundy oak casks.
On the palate, the wine perfectly balances subtle sweetness with a crisp, refreshing, and fruit-forward taste profile and fine, persistent effervescence. Decadent yet refreshing, abounding in aromas of grapefruit, peach, apricot, honeysuckle and hints of brioche. Rich and crisp with well-balanced complexity.
Maschio Prosecco Brut
Fruit forward with white peach, orange blossom, and almond flavors.
Maschio Prosecco Extra Dry
Tastes captivatingly soft and round with nuances of peach and almond.
Rosa Regale
Aromatic with hints of raspberries, strawberries and rose petals enticing the palate with an initial softness then graduating to a clean and dry finish.
EASY PROSECCO COCKTAIL RECIPES FOR PARTIES
CHLOE HOLIDAY SPRITZ
4 oz Chloe Prosecco
.5oz Orange Liquor
1 oz Pomegranate Juice
Instructions Shake over ice. Top off and roll with Chloe Prosecco. Strain into Champagne glass over sugar cube. Garnish with an orange twist.
CHLOE ELDERFLOWER FIZZ
2 parts Chloe Prosecco
1 part St. Germain Liqueur
1/2 part Bombay Gin
Instructions Combine elderflower liqueur and gin in a champagne flute, and top with chilled Chloe Prosecco. Garnish with Fresh Mint.